


How Many Ways Can You Fall in Love

by KuroRiya



Series: EreMin Prompts [1]
Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Adorable, Anorexia, Aprons, Blind Armin, Blind Character, Comfort, Domestic Fluff, F/M, First Kiss, Fluff, Half-Titan Eren, Halloween, Halloween Costumes, Haunted Houses, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Other, Pillow Fights, Titan Eren, Trans Character, Trans Female Character, Yandere, kind of
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-10-25
Updated: 2013-10-25
Packaged: 2017-12-30 10:26:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 19,710
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1017495
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KuroRiya/pseuds/KuroRiya
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>I opened up prompts on tumblr for eremin week, and got a bunch. They're all written now, and I thought I'd share them on other sites as well. </p><p>As you can see if you glance at the tags, there is a very random assortment of things; each chapter is a different prompt. These are all unrelated to each other, and you don't have to read one to understand another. The prompt for each will be at the top of the chapter, including any warnings you might need. These are all of the Not-NSFW ones, I'm doing a separate "story" for those.</p><p>Any characters besides Eren and Armin are mentioned only in passing, and there is no real sideships, though a couple are implied, a little. If you look through the chapters, I'm sure you'll find something you like!</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Aprons

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eren wakes up in a bed after being injured and sees Armin cooking in a cute apron. Armin doesn't think much of it but Eren finds it really cute.

It was a familiar situation. After all, it wasn't uncommon for Eren to get severely wounded. In fact, it seemed to happen on a relatively regular basis. Armin used to get scared, used to cry and beg the gods that he didn't believe in for Eren's safety. But as it became more and more apparent that it was going to take a lot to keep Eren down for more than a couple days, Armin decided to channel his efforts into more productive things.

While Eren slept, he'd use the opportunity to clean up the other's room, as it was usually in an abhorrent state of messiness. Armin never said anything about it though, as he knew that the mess was just proof that Eren was comfortable here. They'd only recently let him out of the cell to occupy a small cabin of his own. Some of the others were jealous of his accommodations, but he was considered too dangerous to sleep in the barracks with everyone else. Armin didn't bother with jealousy though; Eren let him visit often enough, and sometimes he could even sneak out and spend a night with his childhood friend, like they used to do before the fall of Shiganshina. And the superiors tended to be a bit more lenient when Eren was incapacitated.

When he finished with picking up, he might do the laundry for Eren, or patch up a pair of pants, as the boy was negligent with his clothing. Other times he'd simply pick up a book and read next to his friend until he woke. But his favorite thing to do was to cook. Armin never had the chance to follow his mother around in the kitchen, but he had always had a fascination with the idea of putting ingredients together to make something worth eating. It was kind of like alchemy, a subject he'd managed to find a book on.

The other boys would groan when they were assigned kitchen duty, but Armin looked forward to it, loved getting the chance to not only participate in something he found interest in, but to be useful while doing it. Of course, he didn't always follow the recipe handed to him by the cook, and some of his dinners got better marks than others. But, through his little experiments, he'd gotten decent enough at cooking that he could do a bit of it on his own.

Eren didn't keep much in stock; He didn't share the blonde's fondness of cooking. It was mostly things he could eat raw, a few fruits and vegetables, some bread, cheese. He usually walked to the cafeteria, like all the others, and ate the dinner provided. But he had a fully functioning kitchen, something none of the other boys had. It was the one thing Armin envied his friend for. Well, that, and his personal shower. But Armin could use that whenever he pleased, so he didn't bother with getting too angry about it. 

He didn't need to ask permission for anything in Eren's cabin. Armin was always welcome to anything that Eren owned, he'd been told so countless times over their years of friendship. So he didn't hesitate to raid the taller's cabinets, frowning at the scant amount of materials. After a short mental argument with himself, he decided he'd have to settle for some simple noodles with a bit of the beef that Eren had somehow acquired, and a loaf of bread. Maybe the superiors though that, because of the Titan shifting, he'd need more protein? Meat was a rarity in those days. 

The bread would have to be first, to accommodate to the time it would take it to rise. So, after shuffling his way to the kitchens and borrowing an apron, Armin set to work. He'd never made bread by himself before, but he'd helped in its preparation several times, so he assumed he could figure it out. It quickly became obvious that the apron had been a good idea; five minutes in and he was already covered in a thin layer of flour, several white hand prints covering the dark blue fabric. A sigh fell from his lips as he tried to knead his dough, realising too little too late that he'd used too much water, resulting in extra sticky dough. He wiped a hand on his apron after trying to shake it off in vain, then reached for the flour, adding a bit more. That improved the texture greatly, and he was able to shaped the dough properly and put it in a dish, placing that on the sill to rise. 

It would be about two hours before he could bake the bread, and there was no sense in cooking anything else just to let it get cold. Armin therefore elected to pick up a book for a while, turning pages as he eagerly took in the new information. The bread was actually a little past due by the time he put it down, and he rushed to get things moving again. By the way Eren was shifting and murmuring in his sleep, it was likely that he'd be waking in the next hour or so. Armin had gotten good at estimating that, having stayed with his injured friend more times than he could count. 

First he filled a pot with water and set it on the stove, fetching a small stack of wood from the pile just outside the door. It was promptly thrown into the oven and lit with a flint. He brushed his hands against the apron, deciding a washing was in order before he dove in to the actual cooking. Once satisfied with his cleanliness, he reached for the bread, which had risen brilliantly, actually threatening to spill over the edges if left to rise anymore. He allowed himself a small smile as he opened the oven, checking the fire and deeming it ready to begin baking. With a little searching, he found a metal pan that would hold the bread, and stuck it in, leaving it to its devices. 

The bread in the oven, he began the process of making the noodles. The water hadn't yet boiled, so he turned to the meat instead, taking out a knife and chopping it into more manageable pieces. By the time he finished that, the water was bubbling and steaming, and he dumped in the meat he'd just finished chopping. The only spice Eren had possession of was minced garlic and a waning supply of salt, so Armin had to chop a few onions himself. It made his eyes water, but he knew the stew would be that much better because of it. 

The meat was done in a few minutes, and he fished it out, pouring in the bag of noodles and letting those soften for a few minutes. Then it was time to check the bread. He grabbed a cloth, opening the oven and peering inside after letting most of the hot air escape. He gasped when he saw his bread, looking quite done. Blackened even. Scrambling to get it out, he dropped it on the floor, a loud thud resounding through the room. Armin could only stare as the shape faltered, sinking in on itself as the dough took the shape of the floor. It hadn't even browned. 

All he could do was clean it up, sighing as he threw what could have been a delicious loaf out, only of use to scavenging birds outside. It was hard for him to admit, but maybe he wasn't quite ready to bake bread by himself. But he could handle a stew. And that reminded him, his noodles were still cooking. He snapped his eyes in the direction of the pot, yelping as he saw the broth spilling over the sides. He fumbled with the pot, taking it off the heat and stirring it in a bid to bring the bubbles down. Sizzling could be heard as the spilled stew was cooked to evaporation.

Again, Armin sighed, tossing the meat back in and stirring, then he replaced the pot on the stove, letting the whole thing get warm once more before taking it off for the final time and setting it aside to cool. He closed the chimney, and checked the door, making sure all oxygen was removed from the fire. Deciding that it was safe to assume the fire would be out soon, he turned, planning on trying to wake Eren for a meal. He nearly tripped over his own feet when he backtracked, startled by the figure in the doorway. 

“E-Eren?” He gasped, his hand snapping up to press at his heart which had taken up a faster pace. Why he'd asked was unknown even to him. Who else would be in the doorway? Eren answered nonetheless, walking further into the room and revealing himself completely. Armin frowned, trying to detect any indicator that Eren's injuries hadn't healed enough for him to be up an about. But he seemed to be fine, not a surprise, considering his circumstances. “How long have you been awake?” He demanded, thinking back to all of the embarrassing things he'd done in the past few minutes. 

“Long enough to see you let that pot boil over. And I think you threw something out?” He offered. Armin sighed, not bothering with blushing. It wasn't as if Eren really cared. 

“I messed up the bread, sorry. But I made stew, so you should have some.” Armin said, more of a command than a request. Eren grinned, sitting down at the table. 

“Only if you bring it to me. I'm too groggy to be trusted with something that hot.” He said warily, yawning to prove his point. Armin rolled his eyes, taking down two bowls from the cabinet and filling each. After retrieving spoons, he brought the food to Eren, setting the bowl down before taking a seat himself. They ate in companionable silence, only speaking again when Armin stood to take the bowls to the sink for washing. 

He was wrist deep in soapy water when he noticed the staring, the hair at the back of his neck rising. There was only one other person in the cabin, but he didn't know why Eren would be staring. But a quick glance backwards from the corner of his eyes confirmed his suspicion. It took everything he had to pretend he didn't notice, his body moving stiffly despite his best attempt. When he'd finished the dishes, he turned to Eren, finding the other boy still staring at him openly. 

“Um, is there something on my face or something?” He asked, his brows furrowed. 

“Nah. I was just thinking, the apron suits you.” Eren said with a smile that revealed his teeth. Armin tried to detect the teasing of the statement, but found none, a blush rising to his cheeks. 

“What does that mean?” He questioned, looking down at his now filthy apron. Did being messy suit him? He couldn't fathom. 

“Just that it's cute. You look kind of normal like that. You should wear them more often.” He replied, shrugging as he let his head fall into his arms, snuggling into the small comfort the position offered. Armin quirked a brow, looking down again at the apron, trying to locate the cute part of it, failing. He too shrugged, shaking his head as he removed the article and tossed it into the basket he'd designated as Eren's dirty clothing basket. He'd return it after he did the laundry. 

Eren was asleep before Armin could ask for his assistance, but the blonde didn't really mind. Eren was pretty bad at laundry anyway, usually tearing a hole in the fabric by grinding it against the washboard too hard. So Armin loaded it up and sat it by the door, planning on doing it while Eren slept. But he stopped to pull a blanket over Eren, letting the fabric drape over his shoulders. He watched the brunette sleep for a bit, then stooped down and pressed a kiss to his temple. 

“Well, if you like it, maybe I won't return it after all. I don't think the kitchen will miss just one.” He whispered, smiling to himself and returning to the basket, hefting it up and heading to the nearby river.


	2. Pillow Fights

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Pillow fight!!

They'd been training for so long, years it felt like, though it was really only a few months. But they could feel it, feel their bodies aging exponentially faster with the wear and tear of the conditioning, like it was eroding away at their entire beings. It was hard, tiring, leaving all of the trainees drained and practically limp by the end of the day.

Some hadn't lasted a day, others slowly joining those that had chosen the landfill, others still simply disappearing after a while. No one talked about those lost, it was a subject tactfully avoided by those that remained. But they all knew just how close they were, every day, to the same exhaustion, to the same fate. Human bodies weren't meant to be used this way, but they had little choice otherwise, so everyone just shut up and trained their bodies to ignore the pain, the permanent bruises, the aching necks and backs. 

They didn't get many days off. There was no such thing as a weekend for soldiers. Danger was always imminent, always looming, and they couldn't afford to be so careless. But even the instructors knew that nobody would last if they weren't allowed time to relax at least occasionally. Mentally, it was too stressful, too taxing, and nearly everyone would be pushed over that ledge of sanity that they all teetered on almost constantly. 

It was on one of these rare days off that Armin found himself alone in the barracks. Most of the other boys were out in the fields, or in the cafeteria spending time with each other or relaxing. It was nearing the close of the day, and usually everyone would be heading to the showers. However, they had permission to use the showers at their leisure on days off, to pick their own bed times. So everyone stayed out a bit later, though they did take it easy in a bid not to make the next day's training too difficult. But Armin had other things in mind, things with several pages and many words for him to take in. Nobody bothered with teasing him about his reading habits, thankfully, and he was usually left alone. 

He was nearly halfway through that evening's book before anyone even opened the door. There wasn't much sense in looking up, as whoever it was would likely come in, retrieve whatever they had come for, and retreat back into the waning sunlight outside. His attention devoted to the book in front of him, Armin was too slow in noticing how the other figure lingered, how it approached, and was startled when a body flopped down next to his own on the bed. He yelped, the tome falling from his hands, landing on a random page. 

The blonde looked up at the intruder, sighing when he found it was Eren. The other boy grinned cockily, proud of his ability to sneak up on his bunkmate. He copied Armin's position, pressing his shoulder against the other's, looking at the book with feigned interest. Eren was never really one to like books, not that he could read them even if he wanted to. The only books he liked were the ones with pictures, and the ones Armin would read to him. Still, he wanted to support his friend's interests. 

“What are you reading about today?” He asked, flipping through the pages idly, noting the glaring lack of illustrations. Armin allowed a smile to grace his previously pursed lips. 

“A novel, actually. I'm don't usually read fiction, but I was in the mood today. It's about a man that...” He began, and Eren listened as best he could, fading in and out of understanding what his friend was saying. But he got the gist of the plot, and had to admit that it sounded like it could be an interesting story. He prompted Armin for a few more details, knowing that he loved that, was happy to have someone to talk to. He laughed as Armin's excitement reached its peak and he stood on his knees, trying to animate his words with hand gestures. 

“Oh, you're already in your pyjamas. You already showered then?” Eren asked, interrupting Armin's little rant, noting the loose shirt and pants. Armin nodded, not really minding that his friend had cut him off. 

“Yeah. You too?” Armin returned, glancing at Eren's similar dress. Eren grinned.

“Nah, I thought I'd go all week without showering. What do you think?” He announced.

“I think that's really gross.” Armin admitted, shrinking away from the possibly filthy boy at his side, his nose wrinkling instinctively. 

“I'm kidding.” Eren assured the smaller boy, pushing himself off the bed and into his friend, knocking them both over. They shared a laugh. Despite the circumstances, everybody's spirits rose on the days off, even Eren's. And Armin relished in these moments, when it almost felt like they were little kids again, romping in Eren's bed during a sleepover before the fall of Shiganshina. He smiled as Eren settled down next to him, their noses just barely brushing together. He giggled when the brunette's fingers found his sides, his body trying to spasm itself away from the tickling, unable to do much but flail fruitlessly. 

It was a downside to being best friends with Eren; The boy knew all of his weaknesses. But Armin knew all of his in return, and he was quick to grasp a pillow in his hand and swing it hard until it made contact with the bigger boy's head. Eren fell over from the force, seemingly stunned. However, he was quick to gain his senses and retaliate, grabbing a pillow of his own and returning the blow. 

It was silly, childish, but so wonderful. Armin's heart fluttered as he and Eren exchanged playful blows, the pillows not really causing any pain, though both boys had vastly improved in technique, thanks to all of their hand to hand combat training. They managed to dodge on occasion, to steal the other's pillow. Then a wrestling match would ensue, limbs tangling and positions awkward until both boys came away with one pillow each. Then the battle would continue, as if uninterrupted. 

They didn't mind the feathers coming out from the holes in their ragged pillows in puffs, a few every time they landed a hit. Surely they'd regret it later, when their pillows were practically flat, and they had to clean up the mess. But, at the time, they could think of no better way to spend their time. And so the pillows continued to fly, both boys nearly falling from the top bunk too many times, neither bothering to mention it or crawl down. If they stopped, even for a second, the magic would be lost, the moment gone, real life reigning again. They could pretend, so long as they didn't stop to think, that nothing was wrong, that there was time to spare for a pillow fight between best friends, that they could afford to tire themselves out with fleeting play. 

Eventually they ran out of steam, and collapsed in a pile of limbs, flushed faces, and heaving chests. Laughter rang through the still empty barracks, breathless and gasping, yet light and airy. 

“Who won?” Armin asked after regaining his breath. Eren turned his head to look at him. 

“Me, for sure.” He replied easily. Armin frowned, puffing out his cheeks.

“What makes you so sure? Were we going for first blood, or death?” He questioned. 

“Death, definitely.” 

“Well, considering my first hit was a head shot, I think I won regardless.” Armin pointed out, huffing. 

“You can think that if it helps you sleep tonight, but I kicked your butt.” Eren said stubbornly. They glared at each other challengingly for a few seconds, then Eren's gaze softened. Reaching a hand out, he plucked some feathers from the equally soft blonde hair that fanned out around Armin's still faintly flushed face. “You've got some feathers in your hair.” He explained needlessly. Armin rolled his eyes, picking a few from Eren's hair as well.

“You too.”

They fell into silence as their hands fell away, eyes locked. They simply stared at one another for a while, taking a moment to appreciate the friendship that they shared, that had withstood everything their lives had thrown at them over the years. They found comfort in the presence of the other, knowing there was always someone willing to be on their side, to trust, to confide in, to love dearly. Eren smiled first, brushing his nose against Armin's again, receiving a chuckle in return as Armin returned the gesture, blindly searching for the brunette's hand and lacing their fingers when he found it. It was a lovely thing they shared, something a little more than just a friendship, but too similar for either boy to give it a name. 

“What say we call it an early night?” Armin suggested, already reaching for the blanket and draping it over both their forms, for he knew Eren wouldn't decline. 

“Yeah. Should we clean up the feathers?” He wondered, looking around the bunk, imagining the floor below. 

“We can do it tomorrow. Everyone will be too tired when they come to really care.” Armin reasoned, snuggling closer to his friend, glad that the bunk divider was removable, for he loved to sleep coddled next to the taller boy, to feel his breath and hear his soft snores. It reminded him of home, and of hope.

“Alright.” Eren agreed, wrapping an arm around the blonde and getting comfortable, his spirits improved greatly simply by spending time with the smaller. He'd surely do well in training the next day, extra sleep and a good pillow fight as fuel and motivation.


	3. Halloween

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Halloween prompt:Ttruth or dare Eren & Armin are dared by the group into going inside an abandoned supposedly haunted house near their neighborhood while the rest of the group waits outside. Both are creeped out by muffled screams they hear and floorboards creaking and whatnot, lost in the dark, they're just clinging to each other and taking baby steps and keep going because pride. Mikasa rescues them after but they're clinging to each other and being cute while being creeped out.

In Armin's honest opinion, Halloween was okay. Everyone else seemed to have a strong opinion either way. It was great, or it was terrible. For Armin, it was both; He liked dressing up in a costume and receiving candy from strangers, but he hated the whole 'scary' aspect of the holiday. Unfortunately for him, he was reaching that age where it was considered inappropriate to collect candy anymore. He was a firm believer that you were never too old for trick-or-treating.

But even his friends were against him this year. Mikasa herself had requested that they all simply stay home and hand out candy that year. Armin was mortified, going out that day and buying his costume, just to spite her. But most of his other friends shared the sentiment. Jean suggested they throw a party, which was a better idea than just handing out candy, but still not the same. Only Eren took Armin's side, pleading the case with more passion and fervor than the blonde could muster himself. 

It took quite a bit of doing, and in some cases a bit of bribery, but eventually they had everyone convinced that trick-or-treating was a good idea. Armin had to help put together a few costumes on short notice, but when all was said and done, they made a formidable group of teenagers a little too old for the practise. There was safety in numbers though, and no one would be able to deny such a large group. 

Armin had chosen Sherlock as his costume. He'd always loved the books, but his passion had recently been rekindled thanks to Benedict Cumberbatch and the BBC. Of course, Armin went with the classic look, silly hat and all, but he wouldn't deny that he was wearing a blue scarf underneath. Eren, on the other hand, went in a totally different direction, a big feathered hat atop his head. He took to saying 'Arr' a few days before Halloween even came, but who could be mad at an enthusiastic pirate? 

Mikasa tried to get out of it, but relented after Armin reminded her of the one year she hadn't gone before, and Eren had wound up with a broken arm and twenty-three stitches. She located her old cat ears and tail, allowing Armin to draw on some whiskers with a stick of eyeliner before they left Eren's house.

They met up with Jean and Marco at Marco's house, both boys already dressed and ready to go. Jean, despite Eren's constant badgering for him to go as a horse, had elected to be Batman, which went with Marco's costume. He was Two Face, the makeup surprisingly good, considering it had been done by a teenage boy who thought makeup was the devil. Or maybe Marco had done it himself.

“Dude, awesome costume!” Eren exclaimed upon seeing his friend, though his grin waned into a frown as he inspected it. “But you totally did it on the wrong side! The messed up half is supposed to be on the left!” He pointed out. Marco's eyes widened. 

“Really?” He asked, and Eren nodded. Jean groaned. 

“We are so not doing it again. It took five fucking hours. Just shut up about it and no one will notice. Eren's just a comic book freak.” Jean spat, glaring at the shorter male challengingly when he made a sound of indignation. 

“Guys, come on, we still have to go meet up with everyone else.” Armin announced, grabbing Eren by the arm and dragging him ahead. Jean and Marco fell into pace behind them, Mikasa acting as a middle man.

“Who all is coming?” Marco wondered. 

“Reiner convinced Bertholdt and Annie to come, that's where were headed now. Connie, Sasha, Ymir and Christa all had a party to go to, so they're not coming.” Armin detailed, rounding the corner that would take them to Reiner's house. It was unspoken, but everyone was glad Reiner was coming; He had the best head about him, despite his nature, and would keep them all safe, no matter what stupid stunts they decided to pull. The older boy had saved their sorry asses on Halloween more times than any could count. 

They walked up to the door and Armin pushed the button for the bell. There was a bit of yelling inside, obviously Reiner and Annie fighting over who would get the door, before Bertholdt shyly opened it and smiled at his gathered friends. 

“Hey.” He greeted with a bit of a lisp, thanks to the large vampire fangs he'd attached to his canines. Eren returned the greeting enthusiastically, grinning at the taller. Bertholdt called over his shoulders for the other two, and they soon joined the group on the stoop. Reiner had chosen, appropriately, to paint himself green. Eren gave him a thumbs up, happy to see another comic book character. 

“Reiner, your supposed to go as something you're not.” Jean remarked snarkily, earning an elbow in the ribs from Marco. Reiner furrowed his brows and yelled “Hulk smash!” Everyone excluding Mikasa chuckled. Annie came out behind him, Her assassin costume hiding her lips. She greeted everyone with a nod, and it seemed everything was good to go. 

They began their trek, heading to a richer neighborhood in search of better candy. They were doing pretty well, all things considered. Some people took it better than others; A few commented on the great costumes, laughing as Reiner picked someone up, usually a rather indignant Bertholdt. Others shook their heads and slammed their door. But that was okay, Armin decided, for he'd acquired plenty of candy over the night, and he was content with that. 

They were heading home, each satisfied with their haul, when Armin realised that they were about to pass that house. Everyone in town avoided it. Supposedly, it was haunted. Of course, Armin didn't believe that nonsense, but it was a creepy place nonetheless. And he had the nastiest feeling that Jean was about to...

“Yo, Jaeger, I dare you to go into the old Nyx house!” Jean called from the rear. Armin groaned, having seen that one coming. Eren turned on his heel, glaring at the taller boy. 

“Jean, come on, that's trespassing, and...” Armin began.

“I think it's a great idea!” Reiner interrupted, nudging the smaller blonde. Armin sighed, knowing that he'd already lost the battle. 

“Agreed. Take Arlert with you.” Annie suggested. Armin froze, sending her a very hurt look. How could she just offer him up like that?

Of course, Eren being who he was, didn't hesitate, taking his hat off and handing it to Mikasa before grabbing Armin's arm and marching inside, a chorus of whoops echoing behind them. Armin tried to pry the other boy's fingers off his arm, but to no avail. He whined as Eren shut the door behind them, and their passage to the safe, not haunted world was lost to them. 

“Eren! What were you thinking! This is illegal!” He hissed. Eren rolled his eyes. 

“Whatever, it's not like the police actually care. Chill out. I'd be more worried about the ghosts if I were you.” Eren pointed out. Armin scowled. 

“That's not funny Eren.” He snapped. 

“Why are you getting your panties all in a bunch? I thought you didn't believe in that stuff.” He reminded the blonde, earning a light punch to the arm. 

“I don't.” Armin snapped, crossing his arms. “Even if ghosts were real, I didn't do anything to them, so they...”

He was cut off by a loud creaking sound, his words dying in his mouth as his shoulders tensed. He looked around frantically, trying to figure out where the sound had come from. But his eyes narrowed when he heard snickering from Eren, and he turned his eyes to him scathingly. 

“Eren!” He shouted, clenching his fists angrily. 

“Sorry, sorry, but you should have seen your face!” The brunette exclaimed, holding his stomach as he laughed. Armin crossed his arms over his chest again, turning his nose up angrily. “Oh, come on, don't be mad.” Eren plead, bending down so he could look up at Armin, widening his eyes in an attempt to look appealing. 

“I definitely am. That wasn't nice.” Armin snapped. Eren sighed, rolling his eyes.

“How can I make it up to you?” He asked, finally getting the blonde to look at him, thoughtfully. 

“Hmm... I think I'll take three of your Butterfingers.” The blonde decided, nodding to himself. Eren whined deep in his throat. 

“Oh come on, anything but the Butterfingers! You know those are my favorites!” He exclaimed. 

“Exactly. That's the deal, take it or leave it.” Armin replied. Eren fretted over it for a while, finally groaning. 

“Fine! But you have to let me have one of those caramel apples when we get back to your house.” Eren Added. 

“Alright, I can live with that.” Armin agreed, uncrossing his arms to show his forgiveness. They'd been sitting there a while anyway.

“Awesome! I've been eying those since your grandpa made them! But don't tell Mikasa, because I think I finally convinced her to...” 

This time it was Eren that was cut off, another creak sounding throughout the building, this time accompanied by a low moan. The boys were quiet, looking at the stairs, where it seemed the sound had come from. Then Armin punched Eren in the shoulder again. 

“Eren, come on!” He groaned, but the brunette only rubbed his shoulder and shook his head. 

“That wasn't me, promise.” He whispered, his eyes still trained on the staircase. 

“Don't mess with me Eren, I'm serious! I'll take all of your Butterfingers, I swear to...” He was cut off by the squealing of a floorboard, his head snapping in that direction. “E-Eren...” 

“It's really not me, Armin!” Eren whispered, the frantic nature of his words enough to assure the blonde that he wasn't lying. He bit his lip, drawing closer to the other boy, as if it was any safer that way. 

“But... But ghosts aren't...”

“Well obviously you were wrong!” Eren hissed, his eyes searching the area for anything that could pose a threat to them. 

There was a clattering sound from the upper floor, and both boys yelped, arms tangling as they grabbed onto each other. Safety in numbers, after all. Armin whimpered, burying his face into the crook of Eren's neck and shutting his eyes. See no evil. Eren tried to put on a brave face for his friend, as that had always been his job, but even he was shaking a bit. 

“Let's go, please!” Armin whined, his fingers digging into the fabric of Eren's shirt. He lifted his head and looked around quickly, making note of all of the possible escape routes. 

“But they'll call us pussies if we go out too early!” Eren argued, looking towards the door regardless. 

“I don't care! They all think I'm pathetic anyway!” He pointed out, yelping when they both heard a distant scream. “Oh my god Eren, we're going to die!” He cried, sniffling despite his best attempt not to cry. He tried to inch toward the door, but Eren wouldn't let him. 

“We're not going to die Armin, shut up!” Eren growled, biting his lip as he led them further in. 

“What are you doing!? No, I don't want to go any further!” Armin moaned, trying to back up against Eren's hold on him, but the other boy was stronger. 

“Come on, just a little bit! We're not sissies!” He snarled, pulling his friend in with him.

“I'm a sissy! A total pussy! Let me go!” Armin yelled, tears beginning to fall. 

“No you're not! Come on!” Eren yelled just as loudly. They both jumped when they heard a thump, a moan or maybe a scream sounding yet again. Armin fell to the ground, shaking. Eren followed him down, wrapping his arms around the quivering frame. “It's fine, we're fine.” He muttered, burying his face in Armin's hair. Armin looked back to the door, calculating, even through his terrified tears, how many steps it would take to get out, how long those steps would take, and the likelihood that they'd make it before a ghost could do them in. It looked less and less likely the longer he thought about it. 

“We're so not fine! We're going to die! The boys that used to bully me always said I was going to die a virgin, and they were right! I'm never even going to get my first kiss! Unless the ghost has a weird fetish or something, but that would be even worse, because who wants to kiss a ghost, that would be gross!” The blonde sobbed. 

“Well I didn't get mine either, so at least we're even.” Eren replied, tightening his hands around his friend. There was another bang. “And at least we can die together.” He offered, guiding the blonde's head into the crook of his neck so that he could rest there. Armin sniffled, nodding. He knew that they had a chance of survival if they bolted immediately, but it was awfully nice to be wrapped up in Eren's arms. The other boy hadn't held him like that for a few years, for they'd apparently outgrown affection as well as the right to demand candy from strangers. Armin had missed the security the embraces used to give him.

There were several more noises before Eren got a brilliant idea, pulling Armin away from him to look him in the eye. His blue eyes were red-rimmed from the crying, his nose damp but not running at the moment. He'd probably wiped it on his sleeve, or maybe on Eren's shoulder. He hiccuped, looking at the brunette with questions in his eyes. 

“S-Since we're going to die anyway, I was thinking...” Eren trailed, biting his lip. “Well, maybe I could kiss you?” He suggested. Armin's eyes widened, prompting Eren to try an explain himself. “I mean, just to know what it's like, you know?” 

Armin thought about it for a while, yelping as there was another moan. Finally, he nodded, twisting Eren's shirt into his fists. Eren smiled softly, thanking him silently as he pulled his friend closer. Armin let the other boy take the initiative, not entirely sure what he was meant to do in this situation, trusting Eren to figure it out like he always did. After all, Armin had never read a book on kissing techniques, so how could he be expected to have any idea?

He held his breath as he realised how close Eren was, closing his eyes in anticipation. He could feel the other's breath on his lips, and he braced himself for the impact. And then their noses bumped, causing both to back off a bit. Armin's eyes shot open to look at Eren, who was just as surprised. 

“Er, sorry, I kind of forgot about your nose.” He said awkwardly, frowning. 

“It's okay.” Armin assured, smiling a bit. He felt a lot better about the whole thing now, leaning in to help this time. He angled his face, keeping his eyes open to make sure there would be no other mishaps. Lips met clumsily, shortly, but Armin's eyes fluttered shut anyway. Surprisingly enough, Eren's slightly chapped lips felt nice against his own, and he sighed. Eren made a similar sound, opening his own emerald orbs to stare into cornflower blue. They just stared for a while. Their first kiss had been messy, and more than a little wet, thanks to Armin's tear streaked cheeks, but it wasn't bad. 

“Can I... Can I do it again?” He asked, his cheeks a little red. Armin nodded quickly, already leaning in again. This one was a bit more confident, longer. They had time to notice little quirks, like how Armin's lips were smaller but fuller, and Eren's were wet from him licking them, which would explain the chapped quality. They weren't even paying attention to the noises of the house anymore, and didn't notice when a couple of older teens came down the stairs, clothing rumpled and hair mussed. They didn't hear them giggling at the sight of the two boys that were still lip-locked on the floor, and didn't pay attention when they left through the back door. They were too busy pressing lips together frantically, the fear enough to break down their inhibitions, though they could barely remember why they were afraid in the first place. 

They only parted when a throat was cleared, very close, startling both boys and sending them in opposite directions, almost as if they were magnets rejecting one another. Mikasa stood before them, her arms crossed over her chest and an annoyed look on her face. Armin's face went red immediately as he realised the position she'd found them in. Eren, on the other hand, just glared. 

“What the hell, Mikasa?” He demanded, standing up and helping Armin to his feet. 

“Everyone figured you guys had probably already shit yourselves enough for one night, so they sent me in to rescue you. I guess you two were fine though.” She said, sending each of them a pointed look before she turned and headed outside. Eren rolled his eyes, but followed, Armin close on his heels. Before they could exit the building, Eren reached over and wiped at Armin's face with his sleeve, removing the tear stains. Armin smiled, thanking him quietly. 

They got a few cheers as they emerged, apparently unharmed and perfectly sane. The group asked a few questions, and Eren took no time at all in reliving the entire scene, hyping up the horror for everyone's benefit, of course. He didn't mention the kissing, thankfully, but he did reach for Armin's hand, holding it the entire walk back to the blonde's house. And when they dumped out their candy and started the annual “I'll trade you a this for a that,” Eren handed over four Butterfingers instead of three.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bonus internet points for anyone that understood Marco's costume.


	4. Illness

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eren finds out Armin is anorexic. 
> 
> As the prompt reads, this one is about Anorexia. I in no way support or condone or regard Anorexia as anything positive in anyone's life. This was written for artistic value. I'm not personally anorexic, and therefore my representation is likely very off, but if you are triggered by things like this, then please, don't read it. It's understandable to skip over things that make you uncomfortable. I won't think any less of anyone. But it was a prompt, and I don't deny prompts.   
> If you're struggling with any eating disorder, not just Anorexia, then please seek help. It can make a huge difference.

It was disgusting, that stupid stomach of his. How was it not obvious to everyone else how blatantly fat he was? Or maybe it was, and all of those people who assured him he was perfectly thin, maybe even a little too thin, were lying. That was entirely possible, Armin had to admit. Maybe it was just a big conspiracy against him; maybe they all wanted him to get fatter. Even Mikasa, even Eren. 

No, he wasn't stupid, he knew how fat he was, how ugly. They couldn't trick him. And how ridiculous could they be, thinking he needed three meals a day? Even one was too much. No, he was fine with just a bite from an apple, or maybe a little bit of salad. Cake sounded great, but no, no, no, that was a bad idea. 'I must only look,' Armin would remind himself as he stood in front of the refrigerator, his stomach stubbornly demanding that he feed it, even though he'd informed it many times that it was too big and didn't deserve food. 

He relied on baggy clothes to hide his weight. That's what fat people did after all, hid their weight. It was all he could do really. Sometimes he'd try on some of his old shirts, the ones that were made to fit tightly. They hung loosely on him, and maybe that meant he was a little smaller, but he realised how big he used to be, a few years ago, how big he'd always been. When had he become this hideous creature?

Mikasa was sharp; she knew that he didn't eat the food that he took to his room. Armin had no idea why she was so against him losing weight. It was like she desperately wanted him to be fat. It wasn't fair, because she was so thin and perfect, and beautiful. Maybe she wanted him to stay ugly, so that her chances with Eren would be better. Armin knew she had feelings for him, but she knew that Armin did too. They had agreed not to make a big deal out of who he chose, but maybe she had crossed her fingers behind her back at the time. 

Armin groaned, dropping the shirt he'd been holding up so that he could look at his huge stomach, could poke it in hopes of making it disappear, to no avail. He glared at the scale, knowing it was broken, was lying. He weighed more than 98 pounds, and he knew it. Regardless, he stepped off, exiting the bathroom and heading into the living room. Eren was sitting on the couch, watching television, and he looked up when the blonde entered. It had been a long time since the two had had time to visit each other outside of school or at a larger gathering. A few months actually. Armin was ecstatic when Eren had asked to come over, he'd missed his friend. But he was also scared, because what if Eren realised how fat, fat, fat he was?

“Are you alright,” he called, “you were in there a while.” 

No, no, he wasn't alright, he was sick, disgusting, and he couldn't do anything about it. 

“I'm fine.” He lied, pulling a smile on and coming to sit on the couch. Eren shrugged, scooting closer and draping an arm over the other boy's shoulder. If Armin asked, Eren would probably say it was because he wanted to keep him warm, and Armin wouldn't argue, because he was kind of cold. He leaned into the other's side, resting his head on his shoulder. Eren's arm fell a bit, wrapping around his waist instead, for that was more comfortable for the both of them.

“Woah, Armin, you lost weight!” He exclaimed, looking over at the other boy. Armin's eyes widened. 

“R-Really?” He asked, fighting down the grin. But Eren didn't look nearly as thrilled, his lips pulled into a frown. Didn't he understand how great that news was?

“Yeah, a lot. Are you sure you're feeling okay?” He asked, the concern evident in his voice. 

“I'm fine, silly. People lose weight all the time. It's not like I couldn't use a little weight loss...” Armin trailed. That was a mistake, and he realised it, but too late, Eren had already heard it. Now Eren was going to know, know that Armin was sick, so so sick, dying. But he was really fine, he was just too fat, and he needed to lose the weight before it swallowed him up. 

“Armin, what are you talking about? You're already tiny, if you lost any more you'd disappear.” Eren said, his other hand coming to touch the other side of Armin's body, obviously not liking how little space there was between his two hands. 

“Don't lie to me like that, Eren. It's not helping at all.” Armin replied woefully. Not Eren too. 

“I'm not lying.” He snapped, turning off the tv and turning to face his friend. He didn't give any warning before grabbing the hem of the blonde's shirt and lifting it up to expose his stomach. Armin gasped both from the shock and the horror. Eren was going to see his stupid fat stomach, had already seen it, and he was going to hate him and make fun of him, and oh god he just wasn't prepared for that, because he loved the boy so, so, so much.

Eren's breath hitched, his eyes wide as he took in the expanse of the other's torso. 

“Fuck, Armin, what have you done to yourself?” He demanded, looking into the sapphire eyes of the boy in questioned, dulled with fatigue. Armin whimpered. 

“I'm sorry! I tried to lose it, but I just keep getting fatter and fatter. I know I'm ugly, but please, don't hate me Eren, please.” He begged, covering his face with his hands. 

“Armin, I'm not saying you're fat! You're a skeleton! I can see your ribs, all of them! God, when's the last time you ate?” He questioned, trying to think back to the last time he'd seen the blonde actually eat something, his stomach sinking when he realised that he couldn't think of any. “Come on. I'm making you dinner.” He decided, pulling the smaller up by the arm. 

“No, Eren, I'm not hungry-” Armin protested, but his stomach growled as if to spite him. “Please,” He whispered, looking at the floor. “I can't...” 

“You can, and you're going to. If you don't eat something, you're going to die! I thought you looked pale, but I never imagined...” Eren trailed, sitting the blonde in a chair at the table and getting to work pulling ingredients out of the cabinets. 

Armin could have run away, but there was something about Eren that kept him there, trapped without any bindings. They were silent while Eren cooked, the smells of the chicken noodle soup enough to have Armin drooling, though he hated himself for it. It was so much harder to ignore the hunger when there were wonderful smells of chicken and garlic wafting around his house. 

Eren sat a bowl down in front of him, very full, almost spilling over. Armin looked at it with horror. It looked amazing, but it was so much. There was no way he could eat it all. But Eren was watching him. He couldn't sneak it away and dump it out somewhere. He'd have to eat it, or Eren would be mad, would hate him. And so he took a bite, the noodles a little overcooked, but delicious, the broth too strong but sliding down his throat as if it had been made solely for that purpose. It made his stomach warm, but it growled even louder from the teasing. 

He looked to Eren, hoping he was off the hook, because he had already had so much, too much, but the brunette was still looking at him expectantly, and he just couldn't lose the only real friend he had, so he took another bite, and then another, and another. Eren seemed to have calmed down then, and Armin relaxed too. Maybe he wouldn't have to eat anymore. But no, Eren, was still watching, even if he wasn't looking as angry as he had. 

“I'm full.” Armin tried, setting his spoon down. 

“You've barely eaten.” Eren pointed out with a frown. “Eat some more.” He commanded. Armin wanted to cry, but picked the spoon up again and took another bite. But it wouldn't go down, he couldn't make it. And everything came up all at once, spilling out over the table and his lap. His eyes watered, the vomit more acidic than he remembered it being. Eren gasped and helped him out of the chair, marching him straight to the bathroom and starting a shower. He helped the blonde out of his soiled clothes, grimacing as all of his body was lain bare before him. 

Armin knew, knew how horrible it must be for someone else to see. Maybe now Eren would understand why he needed to lose weight, because he was so sick, so, so, so very sick. 

“Armin...” It was like a sigh, defeat. And he was crying. Eren. Armin gaped, not having seen tears on the boy's face since his mother had died. Was he really so disgusting that he warranted tears? “Please.” He said, wrapping arms around the frail, pale frame, tiny in the embrace, practically a wisp in the wind. “Please, you're killing yourself, and you don't even know it.” He whispered, turning his head to breathe in the smell of Armin's hair. 

Killing himself? No, he was saving himself. There were so many risks to being overweight, didn't Eren know? Not to mention how ugly, hideous, monstrous he looked. 

“God, please, not like this Armin. Why didn't you talk to me? Why didn't you tell me? You're so sick Armin, and I don't know how to help you. What can I do?” He wondered, looking up into blue with hope. But what could Armin say? 

“I'm okay Eren, really I am.” He said, patting the other's back reassuringly, stepping into the shower. He didn't hear a reply, only the door closing as Eren exited the bathroom. When Armin got out and had wrapped a towel around himself, he went into the kitchen, hoping to find Eren. The mess he'd made had been cleaned up already, but Eren was not inside. Armin frowned, checking the living room, but finding that empty as well. 

Eren hated him, thought he was disgusting after all. He knew how sick sick sick he was, and he didn't want anything to do with him, because who would want to deal with someone so fat and ugly and sick? He probably left and was going to change his phone number and address so that Armin couldn't find him, and god, what was he going to do without Eren?

He shuffled into his room, tears already staining his cheeks, but there he was, Eren, in his room, sitting on his bed, waiting. Armin gasped, happy to see his friend, but scared about what he was going to say. Maybe he had only stayed to tell Armin all the things he thought of him.

“Come here.” Was the only thing he said, and he opened his arm. Armin wanted to cry with relief as he quickly walked over and fell into the waiting arms. Eren held him tightly, almost painfully, his nose pressed into the slender neck before him. Armin didn't mind though. He wouldn't mind if Eren snapped him in half, because it was Eren, and maybe he didn't hate him after all. 

His eyes fell upon a notebook, opened and laying upside down on his blankets. He frowned, it was so familiar to him, for he saw it nearly every day, but he always kept it put away in his bedside drawer, so that no one could find it, because he wrote terrible things in it, every thing, so what was it doing on the bed and oh, OH, Eren had read what he'd written. Eren knew, knew how messed up he was, how much he loved him, and no, no, no, that was the worst possible thing that could have happened. 

Eren seemed to know when Armin figured it out, and he sighed. 

“Armin, I want to help you.” He said, pulling the blonde closer. “I love you too.” He added, pressing a kiss to the exposed forehead, pushing wet bangs out of the way. “But you're very sick right now Armin, and you're going to need help that I can't give you, because I just don't know how. Please Armin, please, just let me get you help, let me help you get better, so that we can be together the right way. I don't think I can handle it like this, because it scares me. Do you understand? I'm scared for you. I'm scared of losing you, because I love you too, so please...” He mumbled, pressing kisses to his neck, eliciting a shiver. Armin's eyes watered. Eren loved him? Fat, stupid, sick him? Over Mikasa, beautiful, perfect Mikasa, who could be so much better for him? Even though he wasn't worth it, not worth even the time, Eren wanted him? He didn't want to leave? He wanted to help?

“I...I don't know how, Eren, please, I...” Armin began, not sure what he meant to say to begin with. Eren kissed the corner of his mouth.

“Just trust me. You have to believe what I say to, no matter what you think. Because Armin, you're beautiful, you've always been beautiful, and I know you don't think so, but I do, and I really mean it. But I hate seeing you like this, it hurts me, more than you understand.” 

Armin's head spun, trying in vain to wrap his mind around the idea that Eren thought he was beautiful. Because no, he was not, he was fat, fat, fat, and Eren shouldn't lie to him like that. But Eren said he loved him, and he said he needed Armin to believe. Maybe he really did think he was beautiful. Maybe Armin really was sick in a different way than he thought, really was wrong. He had to trust Eren right? Because Eren wanted to help, and maybe he needed the help. 

“Okay.” He whispered, nodding. 

“You'll let me help?”

“Yes.” He whispered, a shudder wracking his frame as he began sobbing. “Help me, Eren, please. I'm tired. Just love me, okay? No matter what. I'm so tired Eren.” He cried, nuzzling into the other boy's chest. 

“I will Armin, I do. You're going to get better, I promise.” And maybe it was a lie, maybe it was true. But it didn't matter, because he was sick, sick, sick, and fat, fat, fat, but Eren still loved him, and so it was alright. Everything would be okay, because Eren loved him.


	5. Little Blue Dresses

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Armin is a girl and Jean starts flirting with her which causes Eren to get really jealous.
> 
> I cheated on this one. I don't like to genderbend characters, so Armin is transexual instead. If that's not something you can stomach, then don't read this one. But try to have an open mind, because I actually really like the idea of Trans!Armin, and I really never thought I would.

She looked fantastic, her blonde hair allowed to fall freely over her shoulders. Eren liked it when it was in a ponytail, but loved it when it was down. He could reach over and run fingers through the flaxen locks whenever he liked. And her lips were painted such a pretty red. He liked the red, but the thought of kissing all of that lipstick off to reveal the peachy lips underneath was even more exciting. And the dress was perfect, blue as the ocean, just like her round eyes.

She was sparkling, like a goddess, and Eren realised how fortunate he was to be the one this perfect girl fell in love with. He must have done the right guy a favor at one time or another, and now it was being repaid, because there was no other way he could have found someone so perfect. Armin had, of course, been his best friend since they were young. Back then, Armin still used male pronouns, still wore pants as he shyly admired the skirts he passed in windows. 

Eren noticed it first, maybe that gave him a bit of an edge where the romance was involved. He was also the one that first caught Armin trying on some of Mikasa's clothes. He'd been scared when he realised Eren had seen him, afraid of rebuke, but Eren had just complimented him, and suggested he get a dress of his own, since Mikasa's were a little too big. Armin cried all of his borrowed makeup off that day. 

It had taken a few years, but Armin had settled into life as a female. She began referring to herself appropriately, began asking others to do the same. If anyone said anything, Eren was there to support her and defend her if need be. He never messed up, never said 'he' by mistake, not once since Armin had asked him not to. Armin must have appreciated it, for their relationship quickly escalated from there. 

Eren didn't mind that there weren't prominent breasts underneath the dress, or that there were male parts under the skirt. Armin had decided that she was a girl, and Eren saw her as such. Even when she was bare before him, no skirt or makeup to hide her slight masculinity, Eren thought of her as a woman. That's what she wanted, and so that's what he wanted too. He loved her enough for that, and so much more. 

It had been a while since they'd seen most of their old friends. Mikasa was a pretty frequent visitor, but outside of her, the majority of the old gang had fallen out of contact. But Christa had seen fit to suggest a reunion to them, and they all somehow found a mutual weekend off. Armin had been nervous. A few of them had seen her since the change, but some had not, and she worried about how they'd take it. But Eren reassured her with endless kisses and encouraging words, and they soon found themselves outside of the door to the place they were meeting up. 

Armin fidgeted with the hem of her dress, and Eren smiled, brushing some of her hair aside and pressing a kiss to her cheek. Usually he'd go straight for the lips, but he knew Armin would scold him if he messed up her lipstick. She offered him a smile, thanking him silently before lacing her fingers with his and stepping inside. Her heels clicked against the floor as she walked, and Eren decided he loved the sound, looking down at the silver shoes appreciatively. 

They reached the room too quickly, and Armin hesitated for a moment, but Eren pecked her again, and she moved forward, Eren at her side. A few heads turned, and everyone greeted them. A couple had to ask who the pretty girl was, but nobody said anything mean when Armin revealed her name. A few looked surprised, sure, but nobody was hateful, much to Eren's relief. He just hoped that everyone would be as understanding. There were only a few faces that came to his mind, but he didn't see any of them among the crowd. 

He and Armin mingled with their old friends for a bit, saying hello and catching up with everyone. All that talking had them thirsty though, so Eren left Armin's side to walk over to the bar, ordering them both drinks. He waited as the barkeep began the process of mixing Armin's favorite. She'd always had selective taste when it came to alcohol, only liking a few, usually complicated drinks. 

Marco joined him at the bar, greeting him politely. Eren grinned back at the taller man. He'd always liked Marco. He'd managed to lose an arm and an eye, yet he could still put up with horse-face Jean. Which reminded Eren; If Marco was here, then Jean was too. He groaned, grabbing the drinks from the bar and bidding farewell to Marco before stomping back into the crowd and trying to locate Armin. 

It took quite a bit of searching, but he finally located the right head of blonde hair, and began to make his way over, but stopped short when he noticed the taller figure next to his beloved. Sure enough, it was old horse-face himself. Eren allowed himself a little groan, his blood already feeling too hot to be normal. He wanted to walk up and tell Jean to shut his stupid mouth, because surely he was saying something offensive to his beautiful Armin. 

But then he realised, with a bit of a start, that Jean was flirting with her. He had to hold back a snicker as he watched the way Jean subtly leaned over and flashed a smile. He didn't know, didn't know just who he was flirting with. It was too much, and Eren couldn't help himself. As much as he wanted to be the knight in shining armor for his darling, he wanted even more to see Jean's face when he realised it was Armin.

It got as far as Jean snaking an arm around Armin's shoulders before Eren decided that he didn't much like this anymore. That was his Armin that Jean had his hands all over. Armin was his fiancee, and he'd worked hard to get her to agree to that. She loved him, not Jean. He pressed through the rest of the crowd, drinks still in tow, and grinned at his love. 

“Hey Armin, sorry it took so long. You know they have trouble making your strawberry monstrosity. Oh,” He said, feigning surprise. “Hi Jean.” He finished with a grin. 

The taller male's face had already fallen, and Eren admitted, it was worth it. There was all kinds of surprise dancing across the other's features, and then a bit of anger as he glanced over to Armin several times, doing double, triple, quadruple takes. Eren wondered who the anger was towards, Armin, or himself. It didn't matter though, because he'd won this one, and there was no way Jean could deny it. He handed Armin her drink, taking a sip of his own. 

“I saw Marco at the bar. You two came together right? Or are you still pretending you're not gay?” Eren wondered, making Jean choke a bit as he tried to swallow. He opened his mouth as if to say something, but no words came out. He got lucky, for Marco came to collect him at that moment, and he stumbled off with a red face and flustered mind. Eren laughed triumphantly. 

“It's not a reunion unless I manage to piss off Jean.” He announced, pecking Armin on the cheek again. “And see, even Jean thought you were beautiful.” He pointed out, earning him a small smile.

“Yeah. But I think you're enough for me. Thanks Eren. I love you.” She mumbled, leaning over and leaving a red kiss print at the corner of the other's mouth.


	6. Wedding Plans

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Half-Titan!Eren with Armin trying to get him back to normal.

It was unusual, seeing Eren that way. He was the right size, but... He still looked kind of like his larger form. His ears hadn't shrunk like they usually did, leaving him with a rather elf-like appearance. His hair was still long as well, and his features a bit pointed. The weirdest part was the extra teeth though. Still, with the indignant way he was huffing around, a scowl on his features as people gave him odd looks, Armin had to admit to himself, it was kind of cute.

The ears were his favorite part. He pretended to be thinking of ways to help Eren get fully back to normal, but in reality he was just playing with them. Eren would twitch on occasion, and that was even better, it made Armin giggle. He assumed Eren caught on at some point, but he didn't mention it, allowing the blonde to continue playing with them. 

“I don't know, Eren, it might not be so bad to stay like this.” He offered, tugging at the point of one of the ears. Eren growled, batting the smaller hand away.

“Of course it would! You're not the one walking around with an extra set of teeth.” He grumbled. Armin smiled apologetically. 

“Good point. Well, I'm not sure what to do, to be honest with you. Usually someone cuts you out, so this isn't an issue...” He pressed on the ears, seeing if he could get them to shrink back down with a bit of pressure, to no avail. They popped right back into place. Armin did his best and managed to stifle his chuckle.

“What if I'm stuck like this?” Eren moaned, putting his hands over his ears. “No one will want to be around me!” He exclaimed.

“Is that a new thing?” Armin wondered, earning a playful punch to the arm. 

“Seriously! I wanted to get married some day, you know!” He yelled, and Armin blushed. “I'll never get married now! I mean, who would want to marry this ugly face? And I'll never have kids to take to the ocean, and...” 

“I'd marry you.” Armin mumbled, looking down at his lap. Eren shut up at that. 

“W-What?” He asked quietly. Armin's face got even redder. 

“Nothing, sorry.” He replied, looking anywhere but at his friend. 

“No, I totally heard you. You'd marry me?” Eren wondered, pulling Armin's face up to force eye contact. The blonde gulped, but nodded. “Even like this?” He added, the reply the same.

“Yeah. I like the ears.” He offered. Eren grinned. 

“Fantastic. It's a promise.” He announced. Armin blinked.

“What?” He questioned. 

“It's a promise! We're going to get married!” Eren replied, as if it was silly that the blonde had been confused. 

“Um...” 

“You can't back out now. You already said you would.” Eren said indignantly, taking Armin's hand in his own. “But let's wait for a little while. I want to get married at the beach.” He decided. Armin's head was spinning, but he agreed nonetheless. Eren smiled brightly at his dazed friend, squeezing his hand. “But Armin...” He trailed, getting the blonde's attention. 

“Yeah?”

“Can I kiss you now? I don't think I can wait.” He admitted. Armin gasped, but eventually nodded. “Really? Even though my face is all scary right now?” He wondered. Armin nodded again, closing his eyes tight in anticipation. Eren didn't hesitate, leaning in and stealing the other set of lips, smiling at the little gasp he received. But he managed to get Armin relaxed enough that the blonde sighed into it, his body practically turning to goo. It was amazing, and Eren wondered how he hadn't fallen in love with the blonde before then. Maybe he had, and just hadn't noticed it? It didn't matter though, because he knew now. 

His face felt really hot, and he assumed he must be blushing. But then he noticed the steam, and Armin pulled back with a yelp, staring at Eren as if he had grown a second head. Had he? He felt his face, realising that the extra teeth were gone, the skin grown back over his cheeks there. He reached for his ears, noting the shortness of them with a sigh of relief. 

“Thank god.” He mumbled, running fingers through his properly short hair. Armin giggled. 

“I'm going to miss the ears.” He admitted. 

“Maybe I can keep them for the wedding.” Eren mused.


	7. Insanity

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yandere!Armin.

Eren was his. The brunette had told him so, and so it was true. That meant that nobody else was allowed to lay a finger on him, to even look at him. That's what belonging to somebody meant, right? That's what Armin told himself as he punched the girl before him one more time before letting her fall to the ground with a thump. She groaned, her hand coming up to try and stop the blood spilling from her nose. 

Armin scoffed, not repentant in the least. This girl, this ugly, stupid, orange-headed girl, had made a pass at his Eren. She'd actually grabbed his arm, had smiled at him! The nerve. But Armin was sure she'd never do anything that idiotic again, if the broken nose had anything to say on the matter. He walked away, not looking back at the girl, not caring if anyone saw him. But he took a moment to remove the sweatshirt he'd been wearing, because the stupid girl had bled all over it, and that wasn't really his style. 

He walked back into the school building, heading towards Eren's locker, smiling sunnily when he found his boyfriend already there and packing up his bag. Eren heard the footsteps behind him and turned, grinning just as widely when he saw the blonde hair and sapphire eyes. 

“Hey.” He greeted, tossing his bag over his shoulder and slamming his locker. Armin came around his side and grabbed for his arm, the same one the girl had touched, and pulled it to his body, hugging it to his frame. 

“Hello. How was English?” Armin asked, pressing a kiss to the brunette's jaw. 

“It was alright. A couple of things went over my head, but that's normal.” He admitted, and Armin giggled, because he loved that quality about Eren. He loved every quality about Eren. 

“I can help you catch up, if you want.” Armin offered. He'd do anything for Eren, because he loved him, of course. 

“That would be great. What about you? How was math?” Eren wondered, heading outside towards the parking lot where his bike was waiting for them. 

“It was...” Armin paused, thinking back to what he'd done instead of math. “Fantastic.” He decided, smiling. 

“You always say that, but I don't see what's so great about equations and symbols.” Eren grumbled, grabbing one of the helmets and shoving it over Armin's head, doing the buckle for him before pulling on his own. He hopped on and put the key in the ignition, waiting till Armin was seated behind him and had his arms wrapped around his waist securely before he kicked off and left the school parking lot behind. 

Armin rested his head against the larger male's back, enjoying the ride but enjoying his boyfriend even more. Because Eren was just wonderful, so perfect, so sweet, and he was all Armin's, always. He'd said so, he'd promised. And even if he hadn't, Armin would make sure of it. Because that's what Armin did, he made sure of things. He made sure Eren was his, that nobody else touched him, that he never knew. 

They made it back to their apartment. Eren asked Armin to move in with him shortly after he'd bought the place. He said it was lonely by himself, and Armin just couldn't have that, oh no. And who needed his stupid grandfather? It's not like the old coot actually loved him, not like Eren did. Armin didn't need him, but he needed Eren, and Eren needed him. He had told him so. 

Eren dropped his keys on the coffee table, flopping onto the couch and sighing as he nudged his feet out of his shoes. Armin picked them up from the floor, taking them to the door. He should have been mad at Eren for being so messy, but he loved even that about Eren, and really, carrying shoes to the door was the least he could do, because he loved him just so, so much. 

“Sorry.” The brunette called from the couch. “I should have taken them off at the door.” He admitted, but Armin only smiled and joined him on the couch, snuggling up to his side. 

“It's fine, don't worry. You're tired.” Armin supplied, backing up and turning Eren around, kneading his hands into the shoulders that were displayed before him. Eren groaned lowly, melting into the hands working out the tenseness from his muscles. 

“Armin, you're the fucking greatest.” He moaned, rotating his shoulders. Armin chuckled, because he knew that, Eren had told him. He continued to work the muscles until they were limp under his fingers, and then he moved down, pressing into the skin underneath his shoulder blades, getting a gasp this time. He continued on, working like an expert, not noticing when he started pushing harder, and Eren's moans went from those of pleasure to those of discomfort. 

“Ow, Armin, okay, it's starting to hurt.” He announced, but Armin didn't hear him, he was too focused, because he wanted Eren to feel good. But then Eren was gone, arching out of his hands with a yelp. “Armin!” He rasped. “I said it hurt!”

Armin blinked, his hands falling to his lap. He gave Eren an apologetic look, because he didn't mean to hurt him, no, no, definitely not. That was the last thing he wanted to do. Eren sighed, hugging him, because surely he looked like he was about to cry, because he was, because he'd hurt his precious Eren, and that just wouldn't do, oh no. 

“Sorry, I didn't mean to snap. You just pressed a little too hard. It was great though, babe. I was so stressed out.” He promised, kissing along the blonde's temple. Armin sighed, deciding he would believe it, even if it maybe wasn't true, because Eren had told him so. 

Eren turned the television on for a while, choosing some kind of stupid show about coworkers who all actually hated each other. But that was fine, because that's the kind of show that Eren liked, so Armin liked it too, and laughed when Eren did, because it was only funny if Eren thought so. At some point, Eren searched out his hand and laced their fingers together, and it made Armin's heart flutter, because he loved it when Eren did that, and he knew that Eren loved it too, because Eren had told him so. 

After the show, Armin excused himself to make dinner for them. That was his job, but he liked to do it, because food made Eren happy, and that made Armin happy, because Armin was always happy when Eren was happy. He decided to make one of Eren's favorites, beef stew. Armin didn't really like beef all that much, but he loved beef stew, because Eren loved it, he had told him so. 

Eren joined him in the kitchen about halfway through preparations, grinning happily as he looked into the pot and realised what the blonde was cooking. He wrapped his arms around the smaller's waist and pulled him close, pressing kisses to his neck while he stirred the stew. Armin giggled, turning his head to receive a proper kiss, and it made his head spin, and it made Eren's head spin too. He knew that, because Eren had told him so.   
“Did I mention that you're the fucking best boyfriend ever?” Eren wondered, and Armin chuckled.

“A few times, if I remember correctly.” And he did. He remembered everything Eren told him.

They sat down for dinner, and Eren talked about his day, and Armin helped him to understand his English class, because he was a good boyfriend, and he wanted Eren to do well. He was washing the dishes, Eren drying, before anything went amiss. 

“Armin, is that blood on your shirt?” Eren asked, surprise lacing his tone. Armin frowned, looking down, and noticing the spot on his light blue shirt for the first time. How had he missed that until then, how had Eren?

“Yeah, it looks like it.” He agreed. “I had a nosebleed earlier, and I guess I got a bit on my shirt.” He fibbed. It was effortless, because there was no harm done. It's not like it was a big deal where the blood had actually come from. 

“Jeez, again? You need to start a vitamin regimen or something.” The brunette said with a sigh, ruffling Armin's hair and pressing a kiss to the forehead he'd exposed. Armin laughed, because that's what Eren wanted him to do. 

“Maybe I should.” He agreed, finishing the last plate and handing it to Eren. The subject was dropped after that. They showered, did a bit of homework, then went to bed. And Armin curled up in his arms, and nuzzled his face into Eren's neck, because Eren loved that. He knew that, because Eren had told him so. 

They went to school the next day, and parted ways for their separate third periods. Armin smiled and waved until Eren turned the corner, then scowled. He hated having different classes. He hated it more than the color orange, and he really hated the color orange. It was such a nasty, bright color. It didn't suit anyone, no matter how hard they tried. 

He stomped to his class, sitting, waiting for the bell to ring so he could go and see Eren, and share a lunch with him, because he loved that, Eren had told him so. And finally it happened, and Armin flew to his feet and practically ran to his love's locker, but he wasn't there. Armin froze. He wasn't there, but he was always there, he was never not there. That just didn't happen. Where was he? 

But there he was, turning the corner, his face red, like he'd rushed, and Armin sighed with relief, smiling at the flustered boy, took his hands and kissed his cheek. 

“Sorry, I was behind with my lab in biology. My partner didn't show up today.” He explained, and Armin thought about his Biology partner. She had orange hair. What a terrible color. But he'd made it look a bit better by staining it with a bit of red the day before. Red was a much better color than orange, he thought.

“That sucks. I hope she isn't sick.” He said, and it wasn't a lie. He didn't want her to be sick, he wanted her to be dead. That was different, and that meant that it wasn't a lie. He didn't like to lie to Eren, and Eren didn't like when Armin lied to him. He knew that, Eren had told him so. 

“Yeah, that would suck. But come on, I'm hungry now, let's go eat.” He requested, taking Armin's hand and leading him outside. They always ate at the same place, a bench underneath a tree. When it got too cold, they'd sit in a hallway. They didn't like to eat in the cafeteria, because it was loud and hard to hear. And Armin wanted to hear every word. 

But when they went outside, there were girls at their bench, two of them. Armin knew them. They were friends with the orange haired one. He glared at them until they took the hint, getting up quickly and walking away. Eren tilted his head to the side. 

“Huh, they got up awfully quick! Do I really look that scary?” He wondered aloud. Armin laughed, because that was such a silly idea, Eren being scary. Eren puffed his cheeks out but sat, pulling their lunch out and picking out a few things that he wanted to eat. Armin did the same, and they talked about the way the clouds were shaped and how much they wanted to visit the ocean soon, and then the bell rang, and it was time to go back to class. 

They had the rest of their classes together, except the last one, and Armin hated it more than the other class they didn't have together and the color orange put together, but he put up with it, because it would cause problems for Eren if he didn't. But when it was over, just like always, he raced to Eren's locker. 

His stomach dropped all over again when the brunette wasn't there. That was twice in one day, what was happening? Was he just getting faster? But no, no, the clock on the wall said it was the same time it always was, and yet there was no Eren. Armin tapped his foot with worry. Where was he? Who was he with? What was he doing? He should be there, at the locker, with Armin, because Eren was his. He'd told him so, so it was the truth. 

Armin was about to go looking, but Eren finally came down the hallway, walking slower than usual. Was that why he was so late? That could be okay, because Armin didn't want him to rush, he wanted him to be comfortable, because he just loved him so, so much. He waited for Eren to come to his side, giving him the normal, sunny smile, but it wasn't returned. Eren just got straight to work on packing his bag, didn't even greet his boyfriend. Armin frowned. 

“Eren? Are you okay?” He asked, but he knew Eren was okay, he was always okay, Armin made sure of that. But Eren didn't respond, just kept packing, then shut his locker. He finally looked at the baby blues that were fixed on him, and his face wasn't happy. But why not? Armin always made him happy. He knew, Eren had told him so. 

“Armin...” Eren trailed, looking away for a moment. “Armin, those girls said you hurt their friend. My biology partner. They said you broke her nose.” He said, and Armin's eyes widened. 

How could Eren think that about him, think such horrible things. Armin would never do that, of course not, no, because that would make Eren unhappy, and that was the last thing Armin wanted to do. No, no, it wasn't him, no. He told Eren so. 

“Armin, please, don't lie to me.” Eren plead, and Armin just frowned more. He wouldn't lie to Eren. Eren hated lying, he'd told him so. 

“I'm not lying. They just wanted to get between us. I'd never do something like that.” Armin assured, smiling and reaching for Eren's hand, but it was withdrawn before he could. Eren was still frowning. 

“Let's go home.” He suggested, leading the way out to the bike. Armin didn't like this, but he loved Eren, and Eren loved him, so it would be okay. Eren believed him, of course, because he'd always believe what Armin said. He'd told him so. 

They rode home, and Eren dropped the keys on the coffee table, like always, but he didn't sit on the couch or take his shoes off, instead he stood, looking at Armin, looking as if seeing for the first time. 

“Armin, this isn't the first time someone has said something like this about you.” He admitted, and Armin's brows furrowed in confusion. 

“What do you mean?” He asked, tilting his head to the side, his lips pouting. 

“A lot of girls have said that you did something bad to them. But I didn't believe them. You're so sweet, and wonderful, I just couldn't imagine you doing something like that. I figured they were just jealous or something.” He said. “But... They can't all be lying.” He stated.

“Yes they can!” Armin exclaimed. Of course they were lying. He didn't hurt anyone. No, no, he was just keeping Eren safe, not hurting anyone. He wasn't doing anything bad. 

“Armin... I had to go to the nurse today to get an icepack, because I fell in PE, and I asked her about all those nosebleeds that you get, because I was worried, and I wanted to know what vitamins you should take to help. But she said she'd never taken care of a nosebleed for you, that you hadn't even been in since you sprained your wrist a few months ago.” He explained. Armin pursed his lips, but then laughed. 

“I didn't go to the nurse! I can deal with a little nosebleed myself, silly.” He assured, but Eren kept talking. 

“The girls that talked to me today? They said she bled all over you. You were wearing a sweatshirt yesterday, weren't you? What happened to it? You weren't wearing it after last period.” He remembered. Armin bit his lip, thinking about it.

“I got a little hot, is all, so I took it off and forgot it in my math class. You know how forgetful I am...” He began, but Eren cut him off.

“You're not forgetful, you have photographic memory, Armin. You're lying.” He accused. Armin scowled. 

“I am not! You're really going to believe a bunch of stupid bitches over me? Aren't I the best boyfriend ever? I'm so nice, and sweet, and thoughtful, and perfect. You always tell me so!” He yelled. Eren pursed his lips. 

“Around the time you sprained your wrist? A girl told me that you'd punched her friend so hard you broke one of her ribs.” Eren continued. Armin felt a frustrated tear roll down his cheek. 

“I wouldn't do that! You know I couldn't! And if I'd hurt so many people, why wouldn't they be calling the police or something? They can't because I didn't do anything!” Armin screamed. 

“You scared them, Armin! They're scared of you!” Eren screamed right back. Armin whimpered, hating to see Eren like this. He loved Eren so much, didn't he see? All of those girls were trying to take him away, but he was Armin's, he knew, because Eren had told him so. “Please Armin, just stop lying to me! I need you to tell me the truth!” Eren begged, and Armin couldn't deny him, because he hated lying to Eren, and Eren hated it when he lied, he knew. Eren had told him so. 

“I didn't do anything bad! I was just protecting you! You're mine, you told me so. They were trying to take you away from me, Eren, please, don't be mad. I just love you so much Eren. And you love me too, right? You told me so.” He cried, taking a step forward, but Eren took a step back. “Eren, please.” Armin whined, reaching out. 

“You hurt those girls Armin. You broke them.” Eren snarled. 

“I had to Eren, they were dangerous! They were going to take you away, and that's not okay, because you're mine. You told me so.” Armin replied, taking several steps to close the distance, backing Eren into a wall. Eren tensed when his back hit the drywall, but he didn't take his eyes away from Armin. 

“Armin, you're scaring me.” He admitted, causing a frown to form on the blonde's pretty little lips. He knew they were pretty, because Eren had told him so. 

“I'm not scary Eren! I'm just Armin, after all. I love you Eren.” He whispered, pressing a kiss to the brunette's cheek. Eren shuddered, trying to move away, but Armin's arms stopped him. 

“Let me go, Armin, I think I need some time to think.” He said, but Armin just smiled. 

“You can think right here.” He decided. Eren's frown deepened. 

“No. I want to be alone Armin.” He growled, but the blonde wasn't swayed. 

“You said that you were lonely before I moved in. I don't want you to be lonely anymore. So you can think here.” He repeated. 

“You can't force me to stay here.” Eren snarled, trying to push away one of Armin's arms, but with no luck, earning a laugh. Before he even noticed there were hands about his throat, squeezing harder than he'd ever imagined Armin to be capable of.

“Of course I can, Eren. Because you're mine. You're not going anywhere. You're going to stay with me forever, just like you promised. Don't you remember? You said we'd get married. You can't take it back Eren. You love me, I know, because you told me so. And I love you, so, so much Eren. I just can't bear to think that any of those stupid girls even looked at you. I only protected you, I didn't do anything bad, not at all.” He said, releasing the pressure on the other boy's throat and letting him gasp for air. “And you love me, so even if I had, you'd still love me. You do still love me. You'll always love me, because I love you so much, and because you told me so. You don't need to leave Eren. I'm here, and you don't need anything else. So we're going to stay here, together. You can't leave, because you're mine.” He finished. And Eren knew, because Armin had told him so.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was so much harder for me to write than I expected. When I saw the prompt I was like “I got this!” Then I started writing, and I was like “Woah, wait, how do you...”   
> So, I guess I should say sorry if Armin wasn't crazy enough to warrant the 'yandere' title. I gave it my best shot, but I'm kind of a subtle author, so maybe he came off as kind of normal after all. Sorry, I tried?


	8. Cornflower Blues

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eren assisting as blind!Armin tries to adjust to not being able to see.

Armin always had the prettiest blue eyes. Eren could never think of a proper thing to compare them to. Cornflowers, sapphire, the sky, the ocean; Nothing was adequate. They sparkled, even without light hitting them, and they were always moving, always taking things in. He used them to read, to learn, to memorize. And they shone brighter with each new thing he learned. 

Eren couldn't imagine why someone would want to take something so beautiful from a person that had done no wrong. He couldn't understand why there were bandages wrapped around his head, tangling into blonde hair, covering the gorgeous blues. He couldn't understand why there was nothing beneath but damaged tissue and blood. He couldn't understand how Armin was so calm.

He held the boy's hand, trembled with anger, cried, swore revenge. Armin just sat, his head turned towards the window as if he could still see, if only he stared long enough. Now, whenever Eren entered the room, he had to announce himself, or Armin would be looking around frantically, trying to figure out who had entered his room, if they were a threat. He always relaxed visibly when it was Eren. 

The first time Armin showed distress about his situation was when he came to the realization that he'd be unable to read books that weren't printed in braille, and he'd have to learn braille before that. Eren tried to calm him down, promising to read to him until he was able to do so by himself. He could tell that it was still bothering him though. 

Armin was released from the hospital a week later, into Eren's care. And Eren made sure that no harm would come to the blonde. He was supposed to protect him, that had always been his job, since they were small. And he'd failed. Now Armin would never see again. He had to take responsibility. So he ignored the stares and hateful leers thrown their way as he led his companion down the street to his apartment by the hand. 

About halfway through, Armin requested that Eren point out landmarks verbally, that he say when they were entering a crosswalk or passing a bus station. And Eren complied, knowing why the blonde had asked. He wanted to be able to get around on his own, but he should have known better. There was no way Eren was letting him go anywhere alone, not again. If only he'd gone with Armin to the convenience store. It never would have happened if he had. Those boys had a bone to pick with Eren, not Armin. They wouldn't have laid a finger on the innocent blonde if Eren had been there. He wouldn't have let them.

But he hadn't gone, and now Armin was fucking blind. Eren halted in his walk when Armin did. He had stopped to apologise to someone he'd run into. The lady looked annoyed, but she didn't say anything when she saw the glare Eren was sending her way and the bandages about the smaller boy's head. They continued walking until they came upon his apartment building, and Eren led him inside. He'd already packed up all of Armin's things and moved them to his place. He'd even done a bit of unpacking for him, hoping to ease him into the new environment. Armin's grandfather was simply incapable of caring for the boy properly, now that he couldn't see. The man was getting on in years, and would soon need to be taken care of himself. Eren didn't think twice about offering to do it himself.

They took the elevator, even though Eren typically used the stairs. He didn't want Armin falling down them, and if the boy's frequent stumbling was any proof, it was a definite possibility. Once the bell sounded, alerting them of their arrival on the correct floor, they exited, and Armin began to move with more confidence, as he had been to Eren's apartment many times before, and he had a good mental map of the place. Eren was glad to see it, but he didn't let go of the other's hand. 

He unlocked the door and let Armin step inside, closing the door behind the both of them. Eren kicked his shoes off, leaving them by the door like he always did. Armin bent over to unlace his sneakers, but hit his head on the wall on the way down. Eren gasped, his hands cupping the blonde's cheeks as he demanded a status update. Armin brushed his hands away, bending down successfully this time.

“I'm fine.” He assured, getting one of his shoes off. “I'm not made of glass. It's going to take me a while to get used to it, but I'll figure this out.” He promised, determination in his voice, pulling off the other. “But you have to let me learn, Eren. I'm going to bump into stuff, and I'm going to fall over, and I'm going to run into people. I know you want to, but you can't cover me in bubble wrap and keep me locked up in your room. You have to let it happen.” He said, standing back up to his full height. 

Eren frowned. The bubble wrap hadn't occurred to him before, but it sounded like a pretty good idea, in his opinion. How could Armin expect him to just stand by and let him suffer? All of this was his fault.

“I know you're blaming yourself for this, but stop Eren. You're not the one that broke the bottle and took my eyes out.” He said bluntly, and Eren snarled. 

“I might as well have been!” He shouted with frustration. His face felt hot, and he was glad for the first time that Armin couldn't see him, because he was crying all over again. He was so helpless, he couldn't do anything for the other, couldn't make it right for him. 

Armin drew closer, his hands coming up and finding Eren's face. He used his hands to aid him as he leaned forward and kissed away the tears, his lips falling against the Brunette's briefly. That only made Eren's stomach sink more. Armin loved him, trusted him, and he'd let this happen, and he could never take it back, could never return Armin's precious sight to him. His breath shuddered as he drew it, but he refused to let anything akin to a sob come out. Armin was the one that was hurt, that should be crying, not him. Armin was the one who needed comforting. 

“Sorry.” He whispered, wiping his eyes and nose on his sleeve. “Let's go get the rest of your stuff unpacked.” He suggested. He wanted to lead Armin to the bedroom, but Armin had told him that he wanted to learn for himself, so he let his hand fall before it brushed against the other, and began walking. But he still looked over his shoulder with every step to make sure that the blonde was managing. They made it to the room without any significant mishaps, though Armin did hit his foot on the frame of the door. 

Once inside of the room, Eren did take the hand he'd neglected earlier, bringing the smaller to the closet and pressing his fingers against one of his sweaters. Armin recognized it as one of his favorites, and smiled. 

“I've put all of your clothes away. The left side of the closet is yours.” Not that it mattered, because half of Armin's clothing had belonged to Eren once upon a time. The blonde loved to steal things he thought his boyfriend wouldn't notice. But Eren always noticed, he just chose not to mention it, because he thought it was pretty cute, if he was being honest. The clothes suited Armin better anyway. 

He took him to the dresser next, guiding his hand to the top drawer. 

“The same thing for the dresser, all of your stuff is on the left. Top drawer is underwear. I love the lacy blue panties, by the way.” He said, feeling Armin's body tense at the mention of it, his face going scarlet. Eren grinned, moving their hands down a drawer. “I'm not going to make you explain that one, so long as you wear them for me sometime. Second drawer is socks. All of yours are matched up already, so just pull a pair out when you need them.” He continued, moving their hands one last time. “Pants in the third drawer.” He finished. Armin nodded, his hand dropping to the side.   
“All of your shoes are by the door. If you need help finding a pair, tell me. I've also got all of your books shelved. I did them in alphabetical order, like you had them.” He led the blonde out to the shelves he'd set up in the living room, watching as he ran his fingers over the spines fondly, his smile sad. 

“I might as well get rid of them; It's not like I can read them anymore.” Armin pointed out, withdrawing his hand. Eren frowned. 

“The doctor said there was a small chance that you could see in a few years! I mean, sure, you'd have to wear super-thick glasses, but I think the nerdy look would suit you anyway. So don't give up, okay? Do anything, but don't give up.” Eren growled. Armin turned his head, and Eren imagined the eyes behind the bandages looking at him. He was smiling, and pressed another kiss to his lips. 

“Thank you Eren. Sorry.” He apologized, reaching out in search of the other's hand. Eren grabbed it and laced their fingers, kissing the smaller harder as he drew him close, wrapping an arm around his waist. Armin made a little noise of surprise, but it quickly melted into happiness as he returned the embrace. 

It was soft, and slow, and Eren was suddenly so happy that Armin was there, that he was only blind. In all honesty, it could have been worse, it could have been much worse. The boys could have stabbed him in the heart or the stomach, or he could have died from shock, or even cold. But he'd survived, and he was there, thank god. 

Armin yelped as it got a little too heated for him, and Eren backed off, apologizing for taking it too far. 

“Sorry, I just...” He began, but Armin cut him off. 

“It's okay, I get it. I was scared too. I'm still scared.” He admitted, his face turning down. And he looked just so lost, Eren couldn't keep his arms off of him. He held him tightly, too tightly, but Armin didn't mind. 

“I'm here.” He said simply, and Armin nodded, knowing just how much that meant. 

“I know. Thank you Eren.” And it was so heavy, so full of meaning. Thank you for being here. Thank you for helping me get around. Thank you for taking me to the hospital. Thank you for letting me stay here. Thank you for not giving up on me. Thank you for loving me. Thank you for loving me still, even though I'm broken. 

“I love you.” The brunette announced, and the blonde smiled, this one sunny and real. 

“I love you too.” 

And they knew it was going to be hard, and that it was going to hurt, but they also knew that they could do it, that they could work through it. Armin was alive, and Eren was determined. When you put the two together, they could accomplish anything, could handle anything, even the loss of something so beautiful, so breathtaking, so necessary as Armin's sparkling blue eyes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's short. But I think that's as far as I can take it without it turning into a multi-chaptered thing. I might play with the idea some more at another time.   
> I'm sure this isn't what you were expecting when you requested the blind!Armin. I'm aware that there's already something like that, I've seen a few pictures, and I know the basic premise of it, where Armin is blinded by the steam when he tries to cut Eren out, and Eren blames himself and helps him get around. And I could have written that, but I felt like that was cheating, so I made my own AU. Hope you still like it though!


	9. Dobermans

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Armin has a dog and it runs away and he gets really upset and Eren helps him find it.

Armin should have known better than to go out for a walk without tightening the collar a little bit. Somehow the stupid thing always managed to loosen itself between walks. Armin was usually very diligent about checking it before he opened the door, but he was just so tired from school that day. He'd had to stay especially long to work on a project with his partner. The other boy wasn't the brightest, but what he lacked in intelligence he more than made up for with enthusiasm. 

Still, it had run long, and Armin had been late getting home. Of course, before he could even step inside the door, Mimi was whining to go out. The poor thing had to wait all day for her walk, and he had the audacity to make her wait even longer? He had given her a quick apology as he dropped his bag at the front door. She had her leash in her mouth, waiting less than patiently for Armin to take it and hook it to her collar. He opened the door, only thinking of the collar when it was too late. 

Mimi wasn't even aware of it at first as she pulled a little too hard and her head slipped out of the collar. She continued walking at a slow pace, one that she kept with Armin. But when she looked back and realised there was no leash attached, she bolted happily, running faster than Armin could ever hope to, disappearing around a corner without a second thought for her owner. 

Armin was stunned, looking after her with horror, already breaking into a run. He could only hope that she'd stop somewhere familiar and wait for him. But dogs are unpredictable, there was no guarantee. After turning the same corner, he released a frustrated breath that he'd been holding. She wasn't there. But he couldn't just give up, and so he began the process of running down the street, calling her name, checking every place he could think of for her to go. 

After what seemed like ages of this, he began to dread the worst. What if she'd run into traffic and been hit? She was a clever dog, but cars didn't discriminate. What if someone had thought her cute, and taken her? What if they were mean to her? She was such a sweet dog, he couldn't imagine it, didn't want to. What if the dog catcher found her? Her collar was still attached to the end of the leash Armin was gripping. Did they still send dog catchers out? What if they euthanize her? He choked on a sob, his legs carrying him faster. 

He was reaching the end of their walking route; if she wasn't nearby, then he didn't know where else he should look. He shouted her name again, tears stinging at his eyes when she didn't come. It seemed like he was frozen, unable to move from the spot as hot tears fell. Where had she gone? What was he going to do? He was too worried to think properly. 

“Hey, are you alright?” 

Armin jumped, turning around to find the source of the voice that had startled him, clutching the leash to his chest as if for protection. He was surprised to see his project partner staring back at him. 

“Oh, Armin? What are you doing here? Do you live around here?” He asked, quirking a brown brown. The blonde tried to stop his tears, but they only seemed to fall faster. The other boy looked down at the leash, and the state of Armin's face, and seemed to put it together. “Did your dog get loose?” He supplied. The blonde nodded sadly, rubbing his nose on his sleeve. The brunette seemed to be deep in thought, then he gave Armin a small smile. “Want some help?” He offered. 

Armin could have married the boy. He took a moment to reevaluate his previous opinion of Eren Jaeger, deciding that he wasn't so bad after all, even if it did take him a little longer to understand things. He nodded frantically, biting his lip as he tried not to cry anymore. 

“Alright. What's it named?” He asked. 

“Mimi.” Armin replied, sniffling. 

“Okay, what kind of dog is she?” 

“A doberman.” 

“Oh.” Was all the other said. 

“What?” 

“Nothing, that's just a really cool dog. I figured you'd have some kind of lap dog or something.” He admitted. Armin couldn't help but roll his eyes. Everyone was surprised when he mentioned the breed of his dog. “Anyway, how long has she been gone?” He questioned. 

“Um...” He looked at his watch. “Ten minutes.” 

“That's not so bad. Do you usually walk her around here?” He asked. Armin nodded. 

“This is about as far as we usually go though.” He added. Eren nodded, turning the direction that Armin came from and walking. Armin frowned. “I just came from that way!” He called, running to catch up nonetheless. 

“I know. But she probably wouldn't go too far from your normal route, unless she doesn't like you. Dogs have comfort zones too. Let's walk back to your house, she might even be there, or she might be on the way back. If we don't find her, then we can walk back up this way.” He offered. Armin nodded, having to admit to himself that it was a good plan. Usually it was his job to come up with things like that, but he was too stressed about losing his companion to strategize. 

It was pretty well known that Armin was a nerd. He was almost always reading, which was the big tip off. Because of this, he had very few friends. Well, they were more like acquaintances, really, just people that would offer him a hello, or seek him out to copy homework. It was lonely, more so than anybody realised. That's why Mimi was so precious to him. She was nice to him, even if it was only for food. She sat with him on the couch while he did homework or read, stole from his plate when he wasn't looking, grabbed things he dropped and brought them to him. (Unless it was food, and then it was lost to the world.) She slept next to him every night, snorting in his face when he had trouble sleeping, as if urging him to stop stalling. And, when Armin got in the rare mood for some romping, she was more than happy to play tug of war or roll around on the carpet. 

She was his friend. 

He called her name loudly, Eren's voice echoing his own, calling the name in the opposite direction. They'd veer off to different crevices to see if she'd ducked into an alley or between two houses. They were about halfway back to Armin's house before he was crying again. 

“Hey, hey! Don't cry! That's not helping anything.” Eren scolded, stopping to look at the other boy. Armin's shoulders shook from the tears, trying to keep his sobs quiet at least. Eren looked upward with discomfort, not used to dealing with crying classmates. To be honest, the boy had few friends himself, so he didn't have a lot of people experience, his adopted sister aside. He clumsily wrapped an arm around the blonde's shoulders, squeezing. That was good, right?

Armin whined, lowering himself into a crouch as he held himself around the middle. Eren frowned, unable to do anything but follow the smaller boy down and rub his back in circles, like Mikasa did for him when he wasn't feeling well. 

“Calm down, come on. We've got to find Mimi, remember? Just sitting here crying isn't going to...” He was cut off by the sound of barking, which was growing nearer. Both boys jumped, turning their heads toward the sound. 

Sure enough, the black and brown pup was running down the street, tongue flopping happily as if she'd just had the best day of her life. She made a beeline for the stunned blonde on the ground, coming to a halt right in front of him and licking a wet stripe up his face, panting from her run. Armin was dumbstruck, but quickly slipped the collar over her head at Eren's reminder. Mimi didn't protest or try to run again, letting Armin tighten the collar so that there wouldn't be a repeat of the little escapade. 

He finally smiled, hugging the dog around her neck and laughing, though it sounded a bit like sobbing too. Eren grinned as well, glad the two had been reunited. Once he'd finished hugging the dog, Armin stood, looking at Eren gratefully. 

“This is Mimi.” He said softly, gesturing to the dog. 

“I figured. Nice to meet you.” He added, holding his hand out for the canine to sniff. She did so, not reacting beyond a sneeze. Eren took that as a green light and reached down to pet her. Armin's eyes widened, and he opened his mouth to warn that she wasn't very friendly towards strangers, but it was too late. To his surprise though, Mimi made no move to bite or even snarl at the brunette, her ear lowering as he scratched at the base. 

“Wow...” He breathed, looking at his dog incredulously. 

“What?” Eren wondered, moving his hand down her back and scratching at her rump as well, her leg rotating slowly. 

“It's just... Well, she doesn't usually like strangers. I guess you're her type.” Armin joked, smiling to himself. Eren nodded. 

“I get along with dogs. But cats... God, I still have a scar on my back from my last encounter...” He trailed, looking off, his eyes hazy as he fell into memories. 

“Yeah, I don't like cats.” Armin agreed. They weren't very fond of him either. Eren's eyes lit up. 

“Really? It seems like dog people are disappearing these days.” He mumbled. Armin smiled. 

“Yeah. But I'll always be a dog person.” He said. They fell into silence, Eren absently petting Mimi, Armin shuffling his feet. 

“Um... Thanks for helping me look for her. Sorry for freaking out on you like that...” He finally murmured. Eren shook his head. 

“No problem. I'd feel the same way if my dog got loose.” He assured. Armin rubbed his fingers against the back of his hand, wondering what he should do next.

“Um, so...” He began, but he was cut off as he lurched forward, Mimi having tugged on the leash. Eren laughed. 

“See you later?” He supplied. Armin nodded, following after his dog who had apparently gotten bored with Eren's affection. 

“Yeah, we need to work on-Whoa!” He yelped, forced to turn on his heel as Mimi returned to Eren's side, walking behind him and heading towards home again. He stumbled forward, the leash having wrapped around the backs of his legs. “Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry!” Armin groaned, trying to catch up to his dog so he could unwind the leash. But she kept circling, making it impossible. He sighed with frustration, looking up at the brunette. “I... I think she wants you to come too.” He admitted. 

Eren laughed, shrugging. 

“I'm free, if you don't mind.” He replied. Armin's eyes lit up, standing up straight. 

“Really?” He wondered. No one had ever wanted to come over to his house before. 

“Sure. Your dog obviously has good taste, so you must be pretty cool.” He decided, untangling his own legs and patting Mimi's head. Armin's heart fluttered at the prospect of a possible friend. That's what he was, right? He wouldn't be visiting if he didn't want to be friends, right? Right. 

“Okay! Follow me!” Armin commanded enthusiastically, maybe a little too enthusiastically. But he was excited. Eren didn't seem to mind though, falling into step beside the blonde. 

They'd walked past a few houses before he broke the silence. 

“Might as well get to know each other, yeah? I know you like to read, but what else do you do for fun?” He questioned. Armin thought about it for a while.

“I play video games sometimes.” He offered. Eren lit up at that, turning excitedly. 

“What kind?” He demanded. 

“Um, mostly RPGs, but I have a few first person shooters and side scrollers.” He replied. Eren grinned and gave him a thumbs up. 

“You'll have to show me your collection.” He decided. Armin agreed, smiling as well. 

“What about you?” The smaller prompted. 

“Me? Well, I play video games too. But besides that I'm pretty lame. I play soccer sometimes, since I've got a net out back. I'd play other stuff, but I don't really have the equipment, or anyone to play with.” He admitted. Armin frowned. 

“I could...” He paused, thinking about what he was about to say. Would it be too forward? “I could play with you, if you like. I'm not good at anything... Actually, I don't really know how to play anything. But if you taught me, then I could at least try...” He offered lamely. Of course it wasn't an appealing offer; the boy had always been small and nonathletic, unable to keep up with others his age. But he wasn't given much of a chance, so maybe with a bit of practise he could learn to be at least decent. But Eren seemed elated. 

“Really? That'd be great! There's a park a little ways from my house that has basketball and volleyball courts too! I always want to use them, but never had anyone to play! And I can totally teach you!” He added, grinning widely. Armin returned the smile, glad he hadn't been rejected. 

“Alright. I'll do my best.” He promised, walking up to the front door of his house. Eren looked up as he realised that they'd reached their destination, checking out the house, committing the facade to his memory for future reference. They went inside, Armin closing the door before he unhooked the leash from Mimi's collar and she sauntered off into the house. Eren followed Armin's example and took his shoes off at the door, following the blonde into the living room. 

“Where are your parents?” He wondered aloud. Armin winced. 

“I live with my grandpa, actually.” He said quietly, bracing himself for the inevitable. 

“Oh, that's cool. Is he out?” Eren asked. Armin's eyes widened as he nodded. Not many people bothered talking to him long enough to bring it up, but when they found out he lived with his grandfather, endless questions always followed. Where were his real parents, what happened to them, was he adopted... It never seemed to end. But Eren had already moved on to talking about something else, his eyes having fallen on Armin's game consoles. He bent down to check out the selection, nodding appreciatively at the apparent good taste of the smaller male he'd followed home. 

“Nice collection! You'll have to let me play some of these!” He said excitedly. Armin nodded, coming to stand next to the brunette. 

“Sure, anytime. I've beaten most of them already. I'm still working on Eternal Sonata though.” He admitted. 

“Never heard of that, is it good?” Eren asked, picking up the case. 

“Um, that depends. It revolves around music. I play in the orchestra, so it's really cool for me. But...” 

“I'm in band, trumpet.” He said, grinning. “What do you play?” 

“Cello.” Armin replied, and Eren's eyes went wide.

“Seriously? That's so cool!” He gushed, putting the game back down. 

“R-Really?” Armin stuttered. That's not something he'd ever heard. 

“Yeah, really! I wish I played something that awesome! It's like... Uh... Majestic!” He tried, not sure if that was the right word choice, but not really caring. Armin chuckled, his cheeks flushing. 

“I guess so.” He mumbled. 

“You should play something for me sometime. I'll play for you too, if you want. I'm not very good though.” He trailed, shrugging. 

“Okay, yeah, I'd like that.” Armin agreed, gesturing toward the couch. Eren took no time in making himself comfortable, and Armin followed suit. 

“Great! But first, I could actually use some help.” He announced. Armin frowned; This always led to “can I copy off of you?” or “sorry, but could you do my part of the project too.” He should have figured that it would end up that way; Eren was starting to sound too good to be true. 

“Could you explain the project to me? To be honest, I'm totally lost. But I don't want to make you do all the work, that wouldn't be fair. I just don't really get what the teacher means, you know? she has such a weird way of wording things, and I have trouble deciphering it.” He admitted. Armin gaped, but quickly smiled instead.

“Yeah, no problem! she's pretty vague sometimes, but she basically meant that she wants us to...” 

Armin explained the expectations of the project, and laid out what Eren should do to contribute. The brunette was visibly relieved by the explanation.

“That makes so much more sense. I was doing something totally different! You must have thought I was totally dumb earlier!” He sniggered, and Armin laughed awkwardly, because it was kind of true. “But I've got this now, promise! Can I come over tomorrow to work on it? We were at school so late today, I bet Mimi had to go real bad. If it's okay, we could both take her for a walk, then come back to work on the project.” He suggested, and Armin nodded eagerly, more than excited by the prospect of Eren coming over again.

“Yeah, that sounds good.” The blonde agreed. They talked about their interests again after that, until it got pretty late, and Eren had to return home, lest his sister call the police and report him missing. Armin said farewell, waving to him from the door, Mimi barking once from the window by the stairs. Eren waved back, turning the corner that would eventually lead to his house. 

Armin breathed a happy sigh as he closed the door. Maybe it was a bit premature, but it seemed like Eren liked him, and they had a lot in common, and, dare he say it, he was starting to think he'd just made a friend. He glanced over at Mimi who gave her little tail a wag, yipping. 

It had been traumatic, but maybe her getting loose wasn't such a bad thing after all. It'd helped Armin to make his first friend in... Well, ever, unless Mimi counted. He giggled, scratching her affectionately. 

“Thanks girl. You're the greatest.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That's the last one! Hallelujah, praise the heavens. I've been writing these things constantly since I opened up prompts. But I'm a trooper, and I have way too much pride to not finish what I start. So, a few days late, here is my last prompt for eremin week! It was a cute little one, and perfect for me, because I love dogs more than anyone I know. It took me a while to decide on the breed for Armin, many things were considered. But I decided he'd be the kind of person to surprise everyone with a BA dog.   
> I think I'm actually better at writing older versions of these two. I'm not entirely sure, but I'd say they're a little younger than canonverse in this one. I don't know, I haven't been fifteen in a while. But I feel like that's about the time that hormones kick in, and you think everyone is entirely humpable, but you're too shy to admit it, and you're embarrassed when you think it to yourself. What an awkward phase... But they were pretty platonic in this one, so maybe more like 13 or 14? I don't know, I'll leave it to the readers to decide. 
> 
> HAPPY EREMIN WEEKS YA FILTHY ANIMALS! It was fun, but I'm glad I'm done writing for it. I pumped out more writing than I usually do in a month! TWO! Thanks you for taking the time to read any of these, if you did, and feedback is always appreciated! Till next year!


End file.
